Twilight
by Lessa
Summary: Just some R/H fluff I wrote up. They belong together....no question!


A/N: This is my first fic, so be lenient in your reviews….please?!? This is from Hermione's PoV, and it's not very mushy, but still sorta romance-y. I'm thinking about doing a sequel, so please tell me in your reviews if you think I should. That one will definitely be mushy :-) So, read, review and enjoy!!!  
  
  
By the way, do cherry blossoms bloom in the spring? I hope so! If not, please bear with me. It was a plot hole. A necessity. Thanks!  
  
  
Disclaimer: Sadly, nothing's mine.  
  
  
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The grass smells so fresh and sweet, and it tickles the palm of my hand as I sit back, staring up at the enormity of the crystal sky. The stars are appearing, one by one, winking and flickering in the periwinkle of the twilight. The breeze that flows over my face is soft and warm, blowing a few strands of hair over my eyes and nose. I don't bother to brush them away. The moment is so magical - I sit still and watch a few creamy blossoms slip delicately out of the tree above me. They flutter in the wind as they journey toward the ground. I can't remember the last time I saw something so beautiful.  
  
  
I turn and smile at Ron, next to me. It was his idea to come out here in the first place. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be out here enjoying the breeze ruffling my hair and the cherry blossoms encircling me. So, basically, it's a smile of thanks. Gratefulness. Relief.  
  
  
***  
  
We were sitting in the common room, Ron squinting at his Divination homework and me writing out yet another complicated Arithmancy equation. Harry was at quidditch practice….again. After awhile, though, the figures began to blur on the page, and when I finally took my eyes away from the paper, the common room seemed very bright and sharp and focused. Ron was crumpling up his predictions for the third time - one time too many, apparently. "That's it!"  
  
  
"What's it, Ron?" I asked irritably, stifling a yawn. He gestured madly toward his homework.  
  
  
"This! All of this! It's too much, and I'm sick of it." He jumped up and started toward the portrait hole.  
  
  
"Where're you going?" I said curiously. He shrugged.  
  
  
"Out. I don't know. Somewhere out. Anywhere but here." He gave the door a violent push and stalked off down the corridor. I glanced uneasily at my unfinished Arithmancy homework, and then back at the ajar portrait hole, where Ron was turning the corner all the way down the hall. I sighed and hurried after him. It was a stupid thing to do, but with the OWL's coming soon, I couldn't afford to let him lose any study time. Besides, the common room was awfully stuffy - perhaps some fresh air wouldn't hurt…..  
  
  
I caught up to him, breathless, and failed an attempt to keep up with his enormous strides. It's truly amazing what an extra four inches can do to your pace. "Ron - wait!" I gasped. He shortened his step.  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
"Where are you going?" I asked again.  
  
  
"Outside. I can't stand this damn castle anymore." He turned and headed down a flight of stairs, with me still struggling to keep up.  
  
  
"Oh…" I wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a declaration. He didn't seem to mind, though.  
  
  
"I can't remember the last time I actually stood outside. I can't stand it anymore." He turned another corner and I jogged to catch up.  
  
  
"I know it's a lot of work, Ron, but it's for your own good…"  
  
  
"Good? GOOD? We'll die here with all the work they're giving us. We'll never finish. I need a break. And I don't care what you say," he added as he saw me open my mouth to protest, "I'm going. If you don't want to come, fine."  
  
  
I sighed. The truth was that I knew he was right - even I was tiring of the never-ending workload.  
  
  
We reached the front doors of the castle. Ron grasped one of the brass handles and pulled, and a cool freshness swept over us. Even I had to smile at it's warmth. Ron cheered up considerably as we hurried down the front steps and sprinted across the grass, enjoying the kind of freedom that only the scent of the grass and the blue of the sky can bring.  
  
  
We finally came to rest beneath a small tree, settling down and gazing at the rapidly appearing stars, mesmerized at the scene before us.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Wow," Ron whispered beside me.  
  
  
"I know. It's incredible. Look at - look at everything."  
  
  
He chuckled at the intense look on my face. "It's beautiful."  
  
  
"Yeah." I turned to smile at him, and saw a small white flower nestled in the folds of his robes on his shoulder. I reached over and plucked it off. He grinned.  
  
  
"What are these things, exactly?" he asked, picking another one off the fabric on his knee and playing with its petals.  
  
  
"Cherry blossoms. They bloom in the spring." I prodded the delicate flower with my index finger. He raised his eyebrows.  
  
  
"Spring, huh? Has it really been that long since we were last outside?"  
  
  
"It sure feels like it," I said, returning my gaze to the sky. Ron reached over, brushed a few strands of hair away from my face, and slid the flower behind my ear. His fingertips grazed my cheek, and a tingling warmth spread through me, all the way down to my fingers and toes. I smiled nervously at him and he grinned back.  
  
  
We were silent for a moment, each absorbed in our own thoughts. A few fireflies came out to enjoy the twilight too, and they buzzed around us, tiny glowing spots in the fading light. The breeze was chilly now, and I shivered as it passed around me. I scooted closer to Ron for warmth, and he noticed me trembling.  
  
  
"You're cold," he said. It wasn't a question.  
  
  
"It's freezing out here." He put an arm around my shoulders and I snuggled up next to him, suddenly feeling a whole lot warmer. I leaned my head on his shoulder, trying to ignore the tingling feeling, which was even stronger now, and the little voice in the back of my mind that was telling me how I wished we could stay like that forever.  
  
  
All good things must come to an end, though, and after awhile, this had to, too. I sighed as we stood up and brushed ourselves off. Just before we turned to leave, I looked back at the darkened sky. The moon had come out, a silver sliver among the billions of stars.  
  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
  
I turned quickly as I heard my name. Ron was standing there, looking almost supernatural - the wind blowing his hair and robes about and the moonlight illuminating his face. He stretched out a hand to me. "Coming?"  
  
  
"Oh - yes," I said, walking over to him and taking his hand. He must have seen the wistfulness in my face or felt the chill in my fingers, for he squeezed my hand briefly and smiled at me.  
  
  
"We'll be back again," he promised, pulling me in the direction of the castle.  
  
  
"Yes - we will. Definitely," I agreed, and we set off toward the grounds. Tonight's freedom is gone. But tomorrow is another day.  
  
  
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A/N: Okay, it was short, and it didn't have that much romance. Sorry. But I really want to do a sequel - please give me feedback and ideas for it. There will definitely be romance in the sequel if I decide to do one. So, thanks for reading, and please review!  



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